Elsie Carson
Elsie Hughes (b.1862) is the head housekeeper and she is in charge of all the female servants. More or less, she runs the entire servant branch of Downton Abbey. She is very stoic, but she is ethical and never two-sided. Early Life She is originally from Argyll and her father was a farmer. She has just one sibling, a sister who lives in Lytham St Annes. Before coming to work at Downton Abbey, Mrs. Hughes was "walking out" with a country farmer named Joe Burns. He proposed, but, finding her new work as head housemaid at Downton enjoyable and rewarding, she refused him. Series One By April 1912 Mrs. Hughes is head housekeeper, a prestigious position that is more or less equal with Carson's office as butler. She is a strict taskmaster, but kind-hearted, offering advice and words of comfort to staff members in distress. When Mr. Bates, in Episode 3, badly mangles his leg in an attempt to correct his limp, she helps him and reminds him that no one thinks the worse of him for his handicap. Furthermore, she looks out especially for William, who is often melancholy due to homesickness and Thomas's bullying. Episode 4 sees Joe Burns arrive in town with the intent of a second proposal. Mrs. Hughes goes with him to dinner and the fair, but after realizing that she is no longer the same farm girl of past years (and that Downton would most likely fall to pieces without her) she again refuses and continues in her post. 'Series Two' The beginning of the war sees Mrs. Hughes busier than ever in overseeing Downton's management, dealing with various domestic crises including Carson's illness from overwork (and later from Spanish flu) and Branson's "assassination" attempt on a visiting general. In Episode 4, a shocked Mrs. Hughes finds new maid Ethel and houseguest/patient Major Bryant in bed in the servant's quarters. Livid, she dismisses Ethel, who later reappears with the announcement that she is pregnant. From then on, though clear she disapproves of Ethel's choices, Mrs. Hughes smuggles food to the poverty-stricken Ethel and her infant son, attempting several times to give an irresponsible Major Bryant Ethel's letters. Cora discovers the situation just before Bryant is killed in battle, and in Episode 7 arranges for the Major's parents to come to Downton. Mrs. Hughes tries to sneak Ethel into the house to meet with the Major's parents, but the attempt goes disastrously wrong. Not willing to give up, however, she arranges a second meeting in Episode 8 and speaks up for Ethel in the face of Bryant's father's bullying. Though unwilling to register an official opinion upon hearing Ethel's decision not to give up baby Charlie, she is much kinder towards Ethel, perhaps even with some small degree of admiration. 'Christmas Special' With Bates' trial looming, Mrs. Hughes attempts to comfort a distraught Anna with the fervent belief that Bates, being innocent, will be freed. However, she is called unwillingly to speak for the prosecution, and tricked into revealing the damning conversation she overheard between Bates and Vera - including that he had sworn at and threatened to strike his wife. Obviously shaken, she nevertheless continues to comfort the grieving Anna after Bates is convicted. 'Series Three' Mrs. Hughes will apparently continue to help Ethel and Charlie, who have fallen on hard times. In Episode 2, at Mrs. Patmore's insistence, Mrs. Hughes consults Dr. Clarkson about a suspicious lump that she fears is cancerous; though visibly distraught at the thought of her illness she refuses to confide in any of the staff except Mrs. Patmore, even at the cost of being upbraided by Carson for apparent laziness. By the end of the episode she is awaiting results that will tell her whether or not she has breast cancer. In Episode 3, still awaiting results, she discovers that Carson has figured out the cause of her stress and is initially irritated when he attempts to treat her like an invalid; however, she is touched when Cora tells her that no matter what happens she will always have a home and the help she needs at Downton, giving her new found respect for the family. A visit to Dr. Clarkson confirms that the suspicious lump is not cancer, but only a benign growth. (Carson, relieved, responds to the news by singing as he goes about his work.) Mrs Hughes has a close relationship with the butler Mr. Carson and we often see scenes of them sharing wine in her sitting room or his pantry. Their relationship is friendly but there are hints of some sort of romantic feeling between the two. For example, when Mrs Hughes got the all clear on the possibility of her having cancer we saw a shot of Mr Carson singing because he was so relieved. Not only that but he was singing "dashing away with a smoothing iron she stole my heart away". References Hughes, Mrs. Hughes, Mrs.